Barbara Cubin: “the marriage penalty is one of the most unfair tax burdens the Federal Government places on American people today. Under…”

“the marriage penalty is one of the most unfair tax burdens the Federal Government places on American people today. Under the current Tax Code, the marriage penalty taxes the incomes of a married couple at a much higher rate than that of an unmarried cohabitating couple. The most onerous thing about the tax penalty is that it punishes working women and lower income couples with children. In essence, it taxes the income of the second wage earner, typically the wife, at a much higher rate than if she were filing only individually. A married couple pays an average of $1,400 per year more than an unmarried couple with the same income under the current Tax Code. That money could be going toward paying bills, putting a down payment on a car or a house, saving for college tuition for their children. We have a chance today, Mr. Speaker, to do the right thing. By ending the marriage penalty, we will help the middle class; we will help their families lead better lives. I ask my colleagues to support H.R. 6.”